62,673 tonnes onion produced in Rangpur region

Sun Online Desk
17th May, 2018 02:37:03

The farmers have produced 62,673 tonnes of onion in all five districts under Rangpur agriculture region during the just- ended Rabi season, officials said.

Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said a target of producing 68,458 tonnes of onion was fixed from 6,178 hectares of land in the region during the period.

The farmers finally cultivated onion on 6,335 hectares of land, higher by 157 hectares than the fixed farming target and produced 62,673 tonnes of the spicy crop, less by 5,785 tonnes this time.

The achieved yield rate stood at 9.89 tonnes against the targeted yield rate of 11 tonnes of onion per hectare this time leading to the little shortfall in output.

The farmers produced 22,833 tonnes of onion from 1,935 hectares of land in Rangpur, 7,360 tonnes from 920 hectares in Gaibandha, 14,580 tonnes from 1,620 hectares in Kurigram, 6,300 tonnes from 700 hectares in Nilphamari and 11,600 tonnes of onion from 1,160 hectares of land in Lalmonirhat districts.

Talking to BSS today, horticulture specialist of the DAE at its regional office Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam said the farmers are showing more interest in onion cultivation after getting its bumper production with lucrative price in recent years.

"The farmers are cultivating both winter and summer variety onion every year in recent years increasing output of the essential commodity reducing its import from abroad," he said.

He said the DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, commercial banks and some NGOs extended assistance to the farmers to make onion farming programme a success.

Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said onion production is increasing every year following various pragmatic steps of the government and disbursement of easy-term loans to the farmers at lower interest rate.